Ordinary Human Spectre
by AntagonistChan
Summary: Commander Kirisame Marisa, a Navy brat, proved herself in the Skyllian Blitz. Now, it's up to her and the crew of the Normandy to stop Saren, a rogue Spectre. AU where Marisa from Touhou Project replaces Commander Shepard, and the Touhou lore is integrated into the ME universe.
1. Intro: The Normandy's Test Run

**Hello, readers. I'm very surprised that there aren't any Mass Effect/Touhou crossovers, so I'm here to rectify that.**

**Unlike Gensokyo's Heart and For Want of a Nail, this isn't a continuation-based crossover where everything that's happened in canon has already happened- this is a crossover AU, where a character from one setting is replaced by another. Or a few, in this case. The Normandy crew is mostly kept around- Shepard's the only character replaced, but we get a few major Touhou characters beside Marisa on the team anyways. They don't replace anyone, they're just there. Also, we're going to be going through Mass Effect 1 pretty fast- just Eden Prime, Citadel, Noveria, Therum, Feros, Virmire, Citadel, Ilos, Citadel, in that order, but some things might be changed about those. My reasoning is that ME1 is fantastically boring to me, compared to ME2 and 3. Meanwhile, in ME2 and ME3, I'll do more of the side missions, as well as the Loyalty Missions of ME2. Will Marisa save or condemn the Council? Will everyone survive the suicide mission? Will Marisa destroy the Reapers, control them, or begin Synthesis? Will Marisa survive the ending of ME3? Will Marisa romance anyone, and if so, who? Will it be a Touhou character, or a Mass Effect character?**

**I'll leave you guessing on those.**

**Without further ado, let's begin Magic Effect.**

**DISCLAIMER: Touhou Project belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, and Mass Effect belongs to BioWare and, by extension, Electronic Arts.**

…

"...Well, what about Kirisame?" asked Ambassador Udina. "She's a Spacer. Lived aboard starships most of her life."

"Military service runs in the family," Captain Anderson responded. "Both her parents were in the navy."

"She proved herself during the Blitz," Admiral Hackett added. "Held off enemy forces on the ground until reinforcements arrived."

"She's the only reason Elysium is still standing," Anderson agreed.

"We can't question her courage," Udina admitted.

"Humanity needs a hero. And Kirisame's the best we've got," Anderson pushed.

"I'll make the call," Udina decided.

…

**In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.**

**They called it the greatest discovery in human history.**

**The civilizations of the galaxy call it...**

**MASS EFFECT.**

…

"The Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence," Jeff "Joker" Moreau announced. "We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination. The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit. The board is green. Approach run has begun."

As Joker said all this, Commander Marisa Kirisame approached the bridge.

"Thrusters… check. Navigation… check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift… just under 1500K," Joker announced.

"1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased," Nihlus commented, before simply walking off.

"...I hate that guy," Joker sighed.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment… so you hate him?" asked Kaidan Alenko.

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way to the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible!" Joker argued. "Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid," Kaidan responded. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story," Joker pointed out.

"Are the two of ya done chit-chatting, ze?" asked Marisa. "I can't get a word in edgewise!"

"Sorry, Commander," Joker apologized. "Did you want in on our conversation?"

"Duh!" Marisa grinned. "When don't I? Chatting with you guys is the highlight of my day!"

"Heh," Joker laughed. "Good to know, Commander."

"Joker, status report," came the voice of Anderson over the radio.

"We've successfully reached Eden Prime, sir, and I think Nihlus is on his way," Joker warned. "Watch out."

"He's already here, Joker," Anderson replied, exasperation evident in his voice even over the radio. "I want Kirisame here, now."

"You heard the man, Commander," Joker chuckled. "Go on."

Marisa nodded with a grin, and ran off across the ship.

"Heh," Joker chuckled. "She's always full of energy…"

...

"Good," Nihlus decided. "I was hoping you'd get here first. I wanted to talk to you."

"Eh?" asked a very confused Marisa. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted to ask about Eden Prime," Nihlus admitted. "I hear it's very beautiful."

"I've never actually been there," Marisa admitted. "But, yeah, I hear that, too, ze!"

"I was also hoping to ask about your verbal tic," Nihlus sighed. "What the hell is up with that?"

"It's how I identify myself!" Marisa announced proudly. "In this day and age, you gotta keep an identity for yourself or you'll be forgotten, ze. My outgoing attitude and various eccentricities keep me living on in people's memories forever!"

"...Right. In any case, Eden Prime is supposed to be really beautiful, correct?" asked Nihlus.

"Yep!" Marisa answered.

"Well, we have to make sure it stays that way," Anderson stated, walking into the room. "Commander, this isn't just a test for the Normandy's systems."

"That's pretty obvious,," Marisa answered. "Why else would we have a Spectre on board? Kaidan thinks Joker's just paranoid, and Joker's convinced that something bad's going on. I don't really agree with either of'em, da ze."

"Well, nothing bad is going on," Anderson answered. "Not yet, anyway. But there is something going on. There's a Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. The last time we found Prothean technology, our technology jumped forward two hundred years. That was just a small data cache, the Mars Archives. Who knows what we could learn from this beacon? And if we give it to the Citadel Council, they'll trust humanity even more, and we might get that seat on the council. In addition, Nihlus is here to evaluate you."

"Evaluate me?" asked Marisa. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've put your name forward in the Spectres," Nihlus answered. "If you survive this mission and recover the beacon, I will go with you on more missions, and you may end up becoming Humanity's first Spectre. I know what you did at the Skyllian Blitz. The Batarians would have overwhelmed those defenses if not for you. You'll do well as a Spectre, if you manage to prove yourself."

"Me? A spectre?" asked Marisa. "I… uh, I don't know what to say about that. Wait, survive? Are we expecting resistance?"

"We're on the edge of Terminus Space, Kirisame," Anderson answered. "Pirates and Slavers might want this Beacon, too, and we can't let them get it."

"Oh," Marisa grinned. "If that's the case, this should be easy!"

"Hold on," Joker announced over the intercom. "I'm picking up a transmission. Patching you through."

The vidscreen activated, showing what could only be described as chaos. It was hard to see exactly what was going on, but gunfire was heard, gears churned, and people died.

"Put that thing away!" a woman in pink and white armor yelled. "We don't need picture to get just regular damn support!"

At that moment, the one holding the camera dropped it, and it landed on a rock. All it showed was a massive purple craft in the air, looking like a cross between a squid and a warship.

At that moment, the video went out.

"...What… was that thing, ze?" asked Marisa. "That didn't look like a Pirate ship…"

"No, it didn't," Anderson replied grimly. "This mission just got a lot more complicated. Kirisame, Nihlus, meet me down in the docking bay. I want Alenko and Jenkins down there, too."

"Can do, Commander!" Marisa saluted, running off.

"...She'll make a fine Spectre one day," Nihlus commented. "Well, I'm off."

…

Down in the cargo bay, the group was centered around the doorway.

"We've now reached drop point one," Joker announced.

"Good," noted Nihlus, running up and cocking his gun. "It's time to work."

"You're coming with us, Nihlus?" asked Jenkins.

"I work faster alone," Nihlus corrected. "I'm off."

And with that, Nihlus jumped out of the cargo bay door.

"Nihlus will scout on ahead!" Anderson shouted over the wind. "I want you three to find out what the hell is going on here!"

"Can do, sir!" Marisa grinned. "Are you sure we can count on Nihlus? I'm worried about his safety!"

"He's a Spectre, he'll be fine!" Anderson shouted. "Your priority is to get the Beacon! Finding survivors is a secondary priority! Go on!"

"Now approaching second drop point," Joker announced.

"Go!"

And with that order, Marisa Kirisame jumped out of the cargo bay, Richard Jenkins and Kaidan Alenko following suit.

…

**...And that's the first chapter!**

**I'd like you to know what up until Marisa's first line, everything was said according to the Spacer/War Hero script, with the exception of replacing "Shepard" with "Kirisame." After that, I… wung it? Is that the past tense of "winging it?" I dunno. In any case, I wanted it to be close to the original script, but not identical. I want Kirisame to change things. If Marisa replacing Shepard doesn't change the plot or the dialogue in the slightest, this is gonna be a boring story.**

**Anyways, I'm AntagonistChan, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel. Remember to review.**


	2. ME1: Attack on Eden Prime

**Good day! It's now time for the second chapter of **_**Magic Effect**_**, and here we meet… Reimu! Since we're on Eden Prime and all. We'll also meet Ashley, like in canon.**

**Anyways, after Eden Prime, we're going to the Citadel and recruiting a lot more people. Namely, everyone else who's gonna be on the crew with the exception of Liara, and possibly Yukari and Patchouli.**

**Anyways, let's continue. I want ME1 to be over with as soon as possible.**

**DISCLAIMER: Touhou Project belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, and Mass Effect belongs to BioWare, and, by extension, Electronic Arts.**

…

The moment the trio landed, Jenkins already felt like passing out.

"Eden Prime..." Jenkins trailed off, with a hint of despair in his voice. "No…"

"Oh, right," Kaidan sighed. "You grew up here, right?"

"...Yeah," Jenkins grimaced. "I've always wanted to see action, but not here… never here…"

"We should get moving, ze," Marisa reminded them.

"R-right," Jenkins sighed. "I'm okay. I'm okay!"

"Now that we're back up to speed," Kaidan took the opportunity. "What in the world are those things?"

"Oh, those are Gasbags," Jenkins responded calmly. "Don't worry, they're harmless."

"Looks like they could be good target practice," Marisa grinned. She pulled out the 'Hakkero,' the nickname for her sniper rifle. With the scope zoomed all the way in, she fired, blowing up the Gasbag.

"Damn!" Kaidan shouted in awe. "You're a really good shot, Commander!"

"I learned from the best!" Marisa laughed. "But this isn't the time for joking. I'm still a good shot, so it's time to get moving."

Marisa put away the Hakkero and switched it out for the 'Mini-Hakkero,' her pistol. It was her favorite weapon, by far, and she used it extensively.

As soon as they turned the corner, a pair of drones flew from behind a rock and fired at Jenkins. However, Marisa was able to push Jenkins out of the way just in time.

"Aiiiieeeeee!" Jenkins squealed. "I almost died! I can't stay out here anymore! I don't like danger! Just get me outta here!"

Marisa just dumped him on the ground and shot down one of the drones with concentrated pistol fire, while Kaidan did the same with the other drone.

"Please, Commander!" Jenkins cried. "I don't wanna die! Just send me back to the Normandy!"

"Calm down, Jenkins!" Marisa whisper-shouted. "There might be more of those things! Besides, it's not like you can fly or anything! How would you get back to the Normandy?"

After a few deep breathes, Jenkins answered, "I don't know…"

"Let's just get at least as far as the train station, and we can see about getting you a ride once we get there, alright?" suggested Marisa. "For now, the safest place is here with us!"

"Y-yeah," Jenkins answered, much calmer. "Yeah. Okay. Let's go."

…

After Jenkins' near-death experience, the group remained much more cautious. In the woods ahead, they encountered a few more quickly put-down drones, which made the group wonder how such simple drones could cause this much havoc. They supposed that it could be a result of the civilians not being able to defend themselves… before someone ran right at them through the line of fire.

"Get down!" the woman yelled, dashing behind a boulder. Behind her were figures that were unmistakable, and proved their suspicions wrong- the easily identifiable Geth.

All three soldiers ducked behind cover themselves- Marisa ran behind a tree, Kaidan ran up next to the newcomer, and Jenkins got behind another boulder on the edge of the pass.

Marisa quickly put one of them down with the Mini-Hakkero, with help from the newcomer, while Kaidan and Jenkins killed the other one with biotics and an assault rifle.

As soon as they were down, Marisa and Jenkins rejoined Kaidan and the newcomer.

"Hey!" Marisa greeted. "I'm Commander Marisa Kirisame, N7, who're you?"

"Aren't you a little too peppy for this situation?" asked the newcomer. "I'm Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212, Commander. My whole squad was just killed by the Geth, you know, in case you hadn't noticed them running all over the planet."

"That's the Commander's way of lightening the mood," Kaidan reassured. "She takes special care not to trivialize people's problems."

"On that subject," Marisa asked. "Do you have any idea why the Geth are here?"

"For the Beacon that those researchers dug up, I suppose," Ashley answered. "The only thing I know about the Geth is what I've learned in history classes- the Quarians created them as a cheap labor source, and then they rebelled and retreated behind the Perseus Veil."

"I thought we already agreed that this Beacon was the source of everybody's problems," Jenkins asked, confused. "I mean, we were already here to secure it even before we knew that there were Geth there, since we're close to the Terminus systems and all…"

"That's a good observation, Jenkins!" Marisa complimented. "There's a problem with that, though- we can't afford to assume things unless we have no choice."

"I think we should secure the Beacon," Kaidan suggested. "Like, really soon."

"Agreed," Ashley affirmed.

"Alright, then!" Marisa grinned. "Williams, you're coming with us!"

And so, Marisa ran off down the pass.

…

After killing many more Geth, as well as discovering that the Beacon had been recovered by someone else, the team made it to the tram station. After killing one or two more Geth as well as strange creatures that couldn't possibly be human anymore, they found a single survivor, as well as Nihlus's corpse.

"You gotta help!" the traumatized dockworker pleaded. "I'm terrified!"

"Don't worry, ze!" Marisa chuckled. "The Geth're all gone."

"They're still all over the planet!" the dockworker yelled back. "Not to mention, only two of the workers here survived, including me!"

"How did you and the other one survive?" asked Ashley.

"Well…" the worker trailed off. "I can't get through my day without a nap, so I sneak off during the off hours to grab forty winks. The other one isn't actually an employee, she just stays with us, so she tends to do the same. Hakurei, I think her name was. She's a Miko from Earth, came to Eden Prime to spread her religion. We were asleep when the attack hit… and she's _still_ asleep."

"She slept through all that?" asked Jenkins. "Who the hell sleeps through that heavy of a battle?"

"Not me," a grumpy yet feminine voice replied, as a brunette walked over from behind the crates. "That was a load of shit. I was _not_ still asleep, I just had nothing better to do. I'm not that heavy of a sleeper."

"Hakurei, I presume?" asked Marisa.

"Yeah," she answered. "Hakurei Reimu, Miko from the Hakurei Shrine at Gensokyo Station- you know, that Alliance base in Japan? I can give you the details later- now, I just want the hell off this planet."

"I think we can secure transport for you," Marisa confirmed. "We've still got to finish the mission, though, ze."

"Alright," Reimu stated, puffing out her chest. "Give me a gun, then."

"I- what?" asked Jenkins. "You don't even have any live fire training! You're a clergy!"

"I have to agree," Kaidan recommended. "Hakurei here has training to be a miko, not a soldier."

"Giving her a gun couldn't hurt!" Ashley pointed out. "There are already Geth everywhere, and most of the people she knew here are dead. She can't hurt anyone but herself."

"We don't exactly want her hurting herself, either, ze," Marisa answered. "Tell you what- I can give you a sidearm, but you have to come with us to the Geth fight. That way, we can watch and make sure you don't shoot yourself in the foot or something."

"I'll do it!" Reimu shouted, surprising everyone. "As long as you give me a way to defend myself, I can do it! I'll just hide in the corner and pick them off!"

_That's standard Alliance strategy, ze…_ Marisa thought, keeping her comment to herself. _Council races in general, actually…_

"Alright, then," Ashley decided, handing over her pistol. "I never use these things anyways, since I've got much more reliable, you know, assault rifles."

Marisa's only reaction to the insult of her favorite weapon was only to glare into the back of Ashley's head.

"Alright!" yelled Reimu, zealous enough to make the team uncomfortable. "Let's go kill some Geth!"

"Isn't she supposed to be a Miko?" Jenkins whispered to Kaidan. Kaidan only shrugged.

"Did you see what happened to the Turian here?" Marisa asked, returning her attention to the dockworker.

"Yeah," the dockworker answered. "The other one killed him."

"Other one?" asked Kaidan.

"Yeah!" Reimu answered. "His name was Siren or something. This guy relaxed, let his guard down, and then Siren killed him!"

"How does she go from being a grumpy stick-in-the-mud to acting like a five year old in the span of five seconds, ze?" Marisa muttered.

"However overblown it was, that's what happened," the dockworker confirmed. "Saren just killed him in cold blood, and walked off with the Geth!"

"Then it sounds like he's behind the attack," Ashley sighed.

"And the owner of that massive mothership," Kaidan agreed.

"Man, don't even _mention_ the ship," the dockworker grimaced. "When it was down here, it sent out this massive screeching noise, but it sounded like it was coming from your own brain! I couldn't even hear my own thoughts, and I've _still_ got a headache! It's like it's… trying to worm its way into my brain!"

The man inhaled and exhaled, calming down. "I'm okay. It's gone, now."

"You've been through a lot," Ashley reassured. "Do you know what happened to the beacon?"

"Y-yeah," the man sighed. "Yeah. They sent it down to the spaceport. It's hard to believe that it was only a few hours ago… feels like it was a lifetime ago…"

"Are we going after this Beacon thing?" asked Reimu. "Perfect! The spaceport's only a train ride away."

"Lead us to the train, then!" Marisa grinned.

"Sure thing!" Reimu returned, hopping over the crates… just as more Geth appeared.

"Aiieeek!" Reimu shrieked, shooting her gun wildly at the Geth, actually managing to take one down. Once the surprise wore off, the _Normandy _crew and chief Williams took out their guns as well, taking down the other two.

"...Well, that was an adventure," Ashley grimaced. "I'd bet my life that there are more at the spaceport, since they want this beacon so much."

"Well, then, let's head to the spaceport!" Marisa grinned.

Of course, just as they expected, there were Geth on the train.

…

Upon arrival at the spaceport, the first thing they heard was a strange ticking noise.

"The Geth have planted bombs here!" Kaidan shouted. "We need to shut them down!"

"On it, ze!" Marisa shouted, running over to one of them. It only took a few seconds to disarm it, but it was clear that there were more. The five of them ran up the ramp, only to find more Geth swarming the spaceport.

"Shoot them down!" Marisa growled, pulling out the Mini-Hakkero. "Don't let them blow up the spaceport! If it goes, the colony goes with it!"

Of course, with five people there, they made quick work of the Geth, and ran over to one of the other bombs.

"We might not have enough time!" Marisa shouted. "Kaidan, Jenkins, get the other two!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the two men saluted before running off. Reimu and Ashley stayed behind to watch Marisa.

The men regrouped with the women at the entrance to the spaceport.

"We don't know what we'll find out there!" Marisa shouted. "There could be Geth, there could be those weird zombies, there could even be mercenaries! Be prepared for anything!"

The group entered.

...

Marisa attempted to call the Normandy, but as she did so, Reimu was drawn to the towering beacon, in a way.

"Actual, working Prothean technology…" she muttered, inching closer. Before much could happen, however, the device lifted her into the air.

Marisa turned back to the Beacon and immediately removed her finger from her ear.

"Hakurei!" she shouted, running towards Reimu. She was able to grab onto Reimu's waist and throw her out of the way, the device choosing to lift Marisa herself up instead.

All at once, several images entered Marisa's mind, each one making no more sense than the last.

"C-commander!" Reimu shouted.

"Don't!" yelled Jenkins, holding her back. "It's too dangerous, trust me! I just had a near-death experience myself!"

"But she looks like she's in pain!" Reimu argued.

"The Commander's been through worse! Man, you should have seen her at the Skyllian Blitz!" Jenkins argued right back. "Besides, it looks like it's ending!"

And indeed it was. After a couple more moments, the Beacon unceremoniously dropped Marisa right on her back, and her four compatriots soon ran to her side.

…

Codex Updated: Gensokyo Base (Alliance)

_Often incorrectly referred to as Gensokyo Station, Gensokyo Base is an Alliance military installation in Japan, on the human homeworld of Earth. It's mainly crewed by Humans- however, the largest part of the population are the mysterious "Youkai." The purpose of Gensokyo Base is to investigate the mysteries of the Youkai, as well as give them a place to call their own. There are also decent Turian and Salarian populations on the base, as they too want to unlock the mysteries of the Youkai._

Codex Updated: Youkai (Aliens: Non-Council Races)

_Youkai are genetically modified humans, which have been so extensively modded that they can barely be called human anymore. It is unknown, even to the Youkai, just who modded them, or why, but the Youkai's changes are so advanced and deliberate that it cannot be natural. What is known about them, however, is that they are exceptionally powerful beings. It has been theorized that a Biotic Youkai would be akin to a God, though this theory has been disproven._

...

**And that was chapter two, the mission on Eden Prime! That's right; each mission is going to be one whole chapter.**

**Also, I think I found a better name. What do you guys think of it? Does it live up to **_**Magic Effect**_**, or even surpass it?**

**Anyways, in our next chapter, we see Marisa waking up in the med bay, and the crew visiting the Citadel.**

**Remember to review!**


	3. ME1: The Citadel (Expose Saren)

**Hello, and welcome back! Now, we're on the Citadel, so it's time to see about making the name of this fic accurate.**

**DISCLAIMER: Touhou Project belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, and Mass Effect belongs to BioWare, and by extension, Electronic Arts.**

…

When Marisa awoke, her head was still swimming. She slowly rose, only for Chakwas to stop her.

"Hold on," Chakwas pleaded. "You're still recovering. Don't try to go too far."

"The last thing I remember was getting lifted by the Beacon, ze," Marisa groaned. "How long was I out?"

"Commander, you were out for about fifteen hours," Chakwas sighed. "We're almost to the Citadel."

"We're going to the Citadel?!" Marisa cheered, completely recovering in a matter of seconds. "Awesome! I've never been!"

"I'm standing _right here_," Reimu grumbled.

"Eh? You're on the ship?" asked Marisa.

"I couldn't just let them leave me behind!" Reimu shouted. "Fighting was awesome! I need to do more of it! It's just so much _better _than being a Miko!"

"I personally told her that she would be better off on a Krogan ship," Chakwas offered. "But she was adamant about staying with us. Gunnery Chief Williams also joined the crew, though she didn't really have very many options. Unlike miss Hakurei here."

"You know, warrior and Miko aren't mutually exclusive…" Reimu muttered to herself. Chakwas simply sighed.

"In any case, you should go see Joker. We're almost at the Citadel, and he's under orders from Captain Anderson to not try to dock until you're up and moving."

"Alright, ze!" Marisa hopped up. "Thanks, doc!"

"Wait!" Chakwas put her hands up. "Not quite yet, Commander! I still need to explain what I found in my physical evaluation."

"Alright, ze…" Marisa repeated, far less enthusiastically. "Tell me what you found."

"Physically, nothing's changed," Chakwas explained. "But your brain… it was giving off incredibly strange readings. Abnormal beta waves, almost like learning something you can't fully comprehend. Tell me, did you see anything from the Beacon?"

"I was wondering that myself," Anderson agreed, walking into the med bay. "The Beacon was destroyed, but it might have told you something."

"I saw something, for sure, ze." Marisa answered grimly. "Problem is, I don't know what it _was_ I saw. It was a bunch of images that flashed by so fast; I couldn't make out a single one."

"Well, at least the information is there," Anderson sighed. "You could very well figure it out over time. For now, go talk to Joker."

"Will do, ze!" Marisa grinned, saluting.

…

"This is an outrage!" Donnel Udina shouted. "Eden Prime was attacked by Geth! _Geth!_ If it were a Turian colony, you just know that the Council would be working to solve this problem!"

"Turians don't found colonies on the fringes of Terminus Space," Valern responded.

"I agree," Tevos nodded. "Humanity brought this attack on itself."

"But what about Saren!?" Udina cried. "Surely you must be concerned about a rogue Spectre!"

"You are not involved in that investigation," Sparatus countered. "You have no right to ask."

"The C-Sec findings will be discussed _at_ the hearing, not before," Tevos explained. "We will resume this discussion at a later time."

When the holograms disappeared, Udina turned around and sighed.

"Anderson," he greeted. "I see you've brought half your crew."

"Just my XO and the two that we picked up on Eden Prime," Anderson motioned to Marisa, Ashley, and Reimu. "They might have information worth sharing at the hearing."

"Just don't let them get in the way," Udina sighed. "Kirisame's already in enough hot water with the council, with Nihlus dead and the Beacon destroyed. You've jeopardized your chances at becoming a Spectre enough."

"Kirisame's chances of becoming a Spectre aren't the issue here," Anderson argued. "We can talk about that later."

"Urgh," Udina groaned. "I suppose you are right. In any case, we had better hope that C-Sec finds something."

And with that, Udina and Anderson left for the Citadel Tower.

"We should find something to do before we go to the hearing, ze," Marisa said.

…

"What?" asked a very confused Marisa. "Months? Who would wait months just to meet _one_ Asari?"

"You have to understand, there are many who seek the Consort's services," the acolyte grinned. "As I said, I can see you in three to four months."

"I won't _be_ here in three or four months," Marisa sighed. "I was just bored and came to see what everyone was talking about!"

"Ah, so you're new to the Citadel," the acolyte smiled warmly. "I'm terribly sorry, but it will be a long time."

"Fine," Marisa sighed, starting to slump back to the door. "Come on, you two…"

"Hold on a minute," the Asari paused, holding a hand to her head. "Well, this has never happened before! The consort would like to see you personally, even though you don't have an appointment! Go on, she's just up those stairs in the back."

Raising an eyebrow before shrugging, Marisa jogged to the back of the room and up the stairs, Ashley and Reimu close behind.

"I'm not sure I trust this consort…" Ashley complained. "It seems almost too perfect, especially with her personally inviting you."

"Quiet," Marisa ordered. "I'm sure it's nothing, ze."

When the door suddenly opened, a young-looking Asari stood with her back to them.

"That's far enough, Commander," the Asari ordered, and Marisa was very quickly confused.

"Commander? You know who I am?" asked Marisa.

"Commander Kirisame. Most of the important people on the Citadel take note of important people like you arriving," the consort turned around. "I am Sha'ira, the consort, and I actually have a request for you."

"I knew it," Ashley grimaced. "She just had work for us!"

"What's the request, ze?" asked Marisa, making a point to ignore Ashley.

"Ignored," Reimu whispered to her. She was obviously annoyed.

"A Turian general, Septimus Oraka, is spreading lies and disinformation about me. I would be very grateful if you were to stop him."

"Turian general, eh? Sounds fun! I'll do it!" Marisa grinned, punching her chest. "Consider it done! Where is he?"

"He's in Chora's Den, a… 'gentleman's club' in the Wards," Sha'ira grimaced.

"In other words, a strip club," Reimu sighed.

"Wait, what?" asked Marisa. "Why would you call a strip club a gentleman's club? Women like strippers, too! And even if they only have female strippers, homosexuality is a thing!"

"It's an archaic name for an archaic establishment, let's just leave it at that," Ashley sighed. "Let's just go find the guy."

…

Upon reaching Chora's Den, the group was forced to hide behind a railing due to shots ringing out.

"Assassins!" Reimu observed. "I think Saren hired them!"

"No matter!" shouted Marisa, pulling out the Hakkero. "I'll show them!"

And with a few well-placed shots, the assassins were down for the count.

"Wow, Commander, you're a good shot," Ashley observed. "I mean, I already saw that on Eden Prime, but that was something else."

"Thanks, ze!" Marisa chuckled, putting the weapon back onto her back. She winced slightly. She had to remember in the future not to put the Hakkero on her back when it was overheated.

In any case, they soon made their way to the sleazy club.

…

"Well, aren't you sweet?" asked a man who was obviously drunk.

"Are you drinking on duty, ze?" asked Marisa, spying the C-Sec emblem on his outfit.

"Naww…" the man slurred. "I'm on suspension… I can drink whatever the hell I want!"

"Having a drunkard in C-Sec can't look good for humanity," Ashley pointed out with disgust.

"You shut your mouth!" the man growled. "I'm _Harkin!_ I was the first human _in_ C-Sec, I deserve this!"

"We're here to find Oraka, not talk to some drunk guy," Reimu reminded, evidently uncomfortable.

"Right, ze," Marisa agreed. "Let's just let this guy kill his liver."

"You'll regret saying that!" Harkin shouted, slamming his drink on the table. However, nobody noticed.

"That was quite a display, Commander," the Turian general noted from his booth. "I'm General Septimus Oraka, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, ze," glared Marisa, leaning down on the table in an effort to intimidate him. "Stop spreading lies about the Consort."

"She ruined my life, Commander," Oraka argued. "All the horrible things in the galaxy, and she's the only one who helps me forget it. She rejected me, so I'm getting payback."

"Wow, so incredibly greedy and self-obsessed," Ashley hinted. "Not to mention misogynistic."

"Tell me," Marisa growled. "What makes you think that this is _justified_? Are you really that terrible at handling rejection, ze? Because you seem to be convinced that you deserve to have her, and she's not anyone's property!"

The noise of the club began to die down as people turned to look at the argument.

"I have fought Krogan!" the general boasted.

"Big deal!" Marisa shot back. "Lots of people have fought Krogan! It's not like there's a limited supply of battle-ready Krogan, even with the Genophage!"

"My life is hell!" he shot back.

"And I'm very sorry for it, but don't take it out on the damn consort!" she yelled. That made the Turian sit back a little, evidently surprised.

"I…" he deflated. "You're right. She deserves better. I need to go to Sha'ira… but not like this, of course. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Why would I do a favor for you?" Marisa hissed.

"Because it's for the Consort," he returned, calmly. "There's an Elcor Diplomat who thinks Sha'ira spread his secrets, but I'm the one who did it. If you give him this datapad, it will reveal the truth, and exonerate Sha'ira."

"I'll do it, but it's for Sha'ira," Marisa grimaced.

"I can accept that," Septimus sighed. "I am at fault here. I was wrong. Hopefully, the next time we meet, it will be on better terms."

Marisa decided to return the data to the Diplomat, then head up to Citadel Tower. The hearing had to be starting by now.

…

"Hey, look up there," Reimu pointed out. "There's a couple Turians arguing."

"Pallin, please," the one in blue armor pleaded. "I just need a little more time; I'm close to getting something big on Saren."

"You've had your chance, Garrus," the other one responded. "The investigation on Saren is officially over. The hearing is starting."

"That doesn't sound good," Ashley noted.

"No, it doesn't," Reimu agreed. "We'd better get up there!"

The group ran up the stairs to the Council, meeting Anderson at the top.

"Please," a hologram of Saren said. "There is no real evidence here that I killed Nihlus. I never would in the first place. He was a friend, and fellow Spectre. I would _not_ hurt him."

"But the dockworker-!" Udina was cut off.

"Is not a valid source of evidence," Sparatus countered. "We've got the testimony of a bloodthirsty clergy and a traumatized dockworker, and that's it. The fact that the clergy in question-" he turned to glare at Reimu. "-is present just shows how unreliable you are."

"I saw it personally!" Reimu shouted. "Nihlus was content, and safe, and Saren betrayed that!"

"You have no evidence except for your own testimony. This hearing is a joke, councilors," Saren argued. "I don't have time for this."

"Saren!" Anderson shouted. "You can't run forever!"

"David Anderson," Saren replied coolly. "You always seem to be involved when false charges are placed on me. In any case, I still lack time."

"Then it is decided," Tevos spoke up. "We, the council, find Saren Arterius innocent. There is not sufficient evidence to prove that he is behind the attack on Eden Prime or the death of Nihlus Kryik. Dismissed."

And with that, everyone walked off in different directions, the Council retreating to their chambers and the humans returning to the bottom of the stairs.

"I knew it was a mistake getting you involved, Anderson!" Udina accused. "They questioned our motives!"

"Saren is a menace!" Anderson argued. "No matter what, we have to find solid evidence."

"We could go find that C-Sec officer," Ashley suggested. "We saw him arguing with the Executor, asking for more time to find something on Saren. He might be onto something."

"Why don't we just hire a bounty hunter to take Saren out?" Reimu complained.

"Because that's going to land all of us in jail for just trying, and it won't work anyhow," Marisa explained. "That C-Sec officer is still our best bet."

"You can talk to Harkin, one of the first Human C-Sec officers," Anderson suggested. "He's an ass, but he might know where he is."

"That drunk asshole in Chora's Den? I'd rather not," Marisa winced. "But if he's our only connection… I'll go."

…

Harkin looked up and smiled. "Come back for more, eh?"

"Hell no," Marisa grimaced. "Just tell me where Garrus, the C-Sec Turian in charge of Saren's investigation, is."

"Fine," he sighed in resignation. "Garrus is investigating something in the Wards, at Doctor Michel's clinic. It's not hard to find."

Before any response could be given, the three women had already left the room.

…

Upon arriving at the clinic, the three women immediately froze and began to sneak. A group of thugs had a woman (probably Doctor Michel) held at gunpoint.

"Tell us what you told the Turian!" yelled one of them.

"I swear, I didn't tell him anything!" she cried. "He doesn't know anything!"

Marisa noticed Garrus crawling through cover, and knew what to do. She pulled out the mini-Hakkero and fired a warning shot into the ceiling. When the thug turned to look, Garrus fired a round right into his head. Ashley and Reimu proceeded to pull out their weapons, and a firefight broke out. It was a very short one- a few hired thugs against a clergy and three trained soldiers, two of them with sniper rifles.

Marisa and Garrus made their way over to the doctor.

"Thanks for the assist, Kirisame," Garrus whispered. "If it hadn't been for you, I couldn't have gotten a clear shot."

"Thank you, both of you!" she cried. "You saved my life!"

"What are we, chopped liver?" muttered Ashley to Reimu.

"Yes," said a strangely familiar voice, which came from the ventilation shaft.

"What was that?" Ashley whispered.

"I don't know," Reimu answered.

"What were they after you for?" asked Marisa, not even noticing.

"They didn't want me to tell Garrus about the Quarian," Michel answered.

"Quarian?" asked Garrus.

"Yes," Michel answered. "There was a Quarian here, and she had information about the Geth that she wanted to sell to the Shadow Broker."

"And she wanted to do it through Fist, I'll guess," Garrus grimaced. "Fist isn't working with the Shadow Broker anymore, though."

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" she asked. "That's stupid, even for him!"

"Wait, am I missing something here?" asked Marisa. "Who's Fist, and what does he have to do with the Shadow Broker?"

"Fist owns Chora's Den, and he's an Agent for the Shadow Broker," Garrus explained. "Or, used to be. Now, he works for Saren."

"If that Quarian has information about the Geth, it could be what we're looking for to implicate Saren," Marisa grinned. "In other words, we found something! Where's the Quarian?"

"She's in danger!" Michel's eyes widened. "I set up a meeting with Fist! I don't know where, but Fist might!"

"We're going back to Chora's Den, then," Garrus decided. "Let's go."

And so, the group of four started back to Chora's Den, Ashley and Reimu still wondering what that voice was.

"Reimu," Marisa remembered. "We've got enough people, I think. Head back to the Normandy."

"What?" asked Reimu. "No way!"

"Reimu, you've got a pistol and nothing else. _Go back to the Normandy._"

"Fine."

…

Chora's Den was in chaos. Mercenaries, thugs, bartenders, and even a dancer had drawn their weapons and started firing at the trio.

"This is certainly a little more exciting than I expected!" Garrus shouted.

"It's a lot more exciting than I'd hoped!" Ashley answered.

"Come on!" Marisa grinned. "Let's just get these guys out of the way so we can get to Fist!"

After a very brief battle against all of them, they ran over to the previously-locked door. When they opened it, two heavy lifters pointed their guns at them.

"They must have run out of mercenaries," Garrus observed. "They're using workers now."

"Fellas, ze," Marisa shook her head. "I just took out all those trained mercs. What do you think I'll do to you if you don't stop?"

The men lowered their weapons and walked off, muttering, "Fist doesn't pay us that much, anyways."

The trio then walked over to the last door, the door to Fist's office. However, as soon as they did, Fist ducked behind a desk, and two turrets were activated, likely by him.

"Not today!" he shouted.

"Yes, today!" Marisa shouted in response, a grin on her face. Her omni-tool lit up as one of the guns exploded.

"Well, that was certainly a well-placed sabotage," Garrus complimented.

"I thought those only overheated the weapons," Ashley scrunched up her face in confusion.

"Nope!" Marisa grinned. "They also cause small explosions. A well-placed one can kill a Geth, and an even _better_ placed one can destroy a turret. That, though, is mostly luck. It's impractical to depend on the turret being destroyed by your sabotage."

"You guys aren't even paying attention to me!" Fist complained.

"Just a sec!" Marisa shouted in reply, pulling the mini-Hakkero from her waist. The ensuing firefight lasted for about a minute until the gunfire from Marisa, Ashley, and Garrus had demolished the turret.

"Wait!" Fist cried. "I surrender!"

"You'd better start talking," Garrus warned.

"You're here about the Quarian, right?" asked Fist. "I set up a meeting with the Shadow Broker for her, but it's a trap! He only works through his agents! Instead, she'll be meeting assassins, working for Saren!"

"You little…" Marisa cut herself off. "Where is she!?"

"Hold on!" he cried. "Here, I've given you the NavPoint!"

"Consider yourself lucky!" she yelled as she ran off.

…

"Where's the Shadow Broker?" the Quarian asked as Marisa and company entered the room.

"He's coming," the Turian assassin began to rub her arm. "Just wait-"

"No," the Quarian growled. "The deal's off."

The Quarian evidently realized her mistake as the two Salarian assassins walked closer and closer… until they were promptly shot down. Marisa and Ashley reholstered their pistols, Ashley trading for an assault rifle and Marisa trading for her Omni-Tool, and the trio put down the last assassin together.

"Wh-who are you people!?" the Quarian cried.

"The people who just saved you, ze," Marisa deadpanned. "I hear you've got information you wanted to sell to the Shadow Broker?"

"…Er, yes, I do, but let's not talk about this here…" the Quarian sighed.

…

"Kirisame, what the _hell_ were you thinking!?" Udina shouted. "I hear you assaulted Chora's Den! I… what's with the Quarian?"

"She has information about Saren," Marisa deadpanned. "Thought you might have, you know, found that useful, ze."

"If you had told me that, I wouldn't have blown up," Udina sighed. "What is this proof?"

"I found it in a Geth memory bank," the Quarian explained.

"I thought the Geth wiped their memories when they died, as a kind of defense mechanism," Anderson pointed out.

"My people created the Geth," the Quarian explained. "If you're quick, careful, and lucky, small caches of data can be saved. For instance, this audio file."

She messed around with her Omni-Tool for a moment before a sound filled the room.

"Eden Prime was a major victory!" Saren's voice boasted. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"This proves that Saren is connected to the Eden Prime attack!" Anderson frantically shouted. "We can finally take action against him!"

"That wasn't the whole file," the Quarian continued.

"Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

"I don't recognize that other voice," Udina put his finger on his chin. "The one talking about Reapers."

"What even _is_ a Reaper?" asked Marisa.

"According to the Geth's memory banks, they're a machine race that existed 50,000 years ago. They completely wiped out the Protheans, and then vanished!" the Quarian explained. "They think Saren is like… a harbinger for their return."

"This is disturbing news," Udina said, thoughtfully.

"It sounds a little far-fetched to me, ze," Marisa noted. "Saren probably knows this, and is manipulating the Geth to get what he wants. The Conduit?"

"It's evidently the key to the Reapers' return," the Quarian explained. "So, maybe it is true."

"Hey, Commander, has your vision from Eden Prime cleared up at all?" asked Ashley.

"A little…" Marisa sighed. "Hold on. What if it has something to do with what these Geth think?"

"So you _do_ believe in the Reapers," suggested Garrus.

"No, I still don't," Marisa corrected. "However, the belief in these 'reapers' could be connected to what was in the Beacon. We should get a move on!"

"You know," a voice piped up from the vent above them. "That sound file isn't the only evidence you have, Commander."

The vent popped open, and a certain Turian jumped down from it.

"Nihlus!?" shrieked Marisa. "Zombie?!"

"I'm not a zombie," Nihlus sighed. "I just faked my death."

"Why did you fake your death!?" Udina demanded. "You were the one who put Kirisame's name forward for the Spectres! Your supposed death seriously jeopardized her chances!"

"And if I hadn't, I would really be dead, and her chances would be jeopardized even more," Nihlus countered. "I was forced to fake my death. I waited until now to reveal myself because I could be enough evidence to prove Saren's guilt, but I heard Saren muttering about the Conduit. I had to know what it was. Given what the Council is like, they wouldn't let me investigate it on my own."

"I hear that," Anderson sighed.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Kirisame, could you get that?" asked Udina.

Marisa shrugged and walked over to the door, pressing the button that would open it.

Standing before her was a girl with purple hair, equally purple hair, and equally purple armor. There were multicolor bows all throughout her hair, and she wore a purple mob cab.

"Do you need something, ze?" asked Marisa.

"Yes, actually," the girl smiled lightly. Very lightly. "I am Patchouli Knowledge, and I work for the Shadow Broker. The Shadow Broker would like to personally thank you for dealing with Fist for him."

"…Okay," Marisa stared. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Patchouli's smile turned into a smug grin. "My new mission is to help you beat Saren."

"…Da ze?" asked Marisa.

…

It didn't take long for Patchouli to get settled into Udina's office. In the end, Udina was forced to gather a bunch of chairs and set them up with Anderson to make this little "meeting" work.

"So," the Quarian spoke up. "You work for the Shadow Broker. So, I should have come to you about what I found?"

"Not exactly, Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya," Patchouli answered. "I wasn't here yet when you found it."

"How did you know my name?!" the Quarian, Tali, demanded, but Patchouli ignored the demand.

"Besides, I work for him, but I'm not an Agent."

"What's the difference?" asked Garrus.

"The difference is that I don't deal in information," Patchouli explained. "The Shadow Broker's Agents buy and sell information for him. Meanwhile, I'm part of his private army."

"He has a private army?" asked Ashley.

"Yes," answered Patchouli. "We do his dirty work. I'm not an average grunt, though. _I_ am to the Shadow Broker's army what Kirisame is to the Alliance. I'm just about the best soldier he has."

"You're that good of a soldier?" asked Marisa.

"Well, the similarities go beyond that," Patchouli chuckled. "I'm a tech specialist, too. I wouldn't make a very good conventional soldier because I have very bad asthma. However, my tech and leadership skills make up for that."

"Well, this is all very interesting," Nihlus cut in. "But I think that we have a council to present evidence to."

"That we do," Patchouli agreed. "Shall we be off, then?"

"We will," Udina decided. "If there are no more interruptions, we can go. Now. Kirisame, if you come with us, you might end up being Humanity's First Spectre."

"Definitely, ze!" Marisa cheered, getting up. "I'm starting to get tired of listening to everyone explain things. It's time to get into the action and hunt down Saren!"

…

Based on the looks on their faces, the council was very surprised to see such a large group coming towards them. Marisa, Ashley, Udina, and Anderson were there from before, but Reimu was absent, having been replaced by Garrus, Tali, Patchouli, and _Nihlus_. The Spectre who was supposed to be dead.

"Nihlus?" asked Tevos. "How are you still-"

"Now is not the time, Councilor," Nihlus cut her off. "With all due respect. Kirisame's right about Saren."

"So, he did kill you," Valern attempted to clarify.

"That's not all," Garrus cut in. "We also have proof that he was working with the Geth. Tali?"

"Right," Tali answered, fiddling with her omni-tool.

"Eden Prime was a major victory," Saren's voice boomed. "The Beacon has brought us one step closer to the Conduit."

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

"I recognize that second voice," Tevos noted. "The one talking about Reapers. That's Matriarch Benezia. Asari Matriarchs have entered the final stages of their lives, and are seen as leaders and elders among my people. If she's working with Saren and the Geth, it means that she's a traitor."

"I'm more concerned about these Reapers," Valern put a hand on his chin. "What is a Reaper?"

"According to the Geth memory banks, the Reapers wiped out the Protheans fifty thousand years ago before vanishing," Marisa summed up. "I'm not sure I believe it myself."

"It does sound far-fetched," Sparatus agreed. "In any case, mythological killers aren't the discussion here. What is important is that Saren has been proven guilty. I suppose my fellow Councilors agree that he should be disbarred?"

"Indeed," Valern agreed.

"Saren is no longer a Spectre," Tevos announced. "He no longer has the technology or information of one."

"That's not enough!" Udina demanded. "Send your fleet in! You could save human colonies!"

"Or we could start a war with the Terminus Systems," Sparatus argued. "We aren't risking that."

"How about me, ze?" asked Marisa.

"She's right," Tevos agreed. "There is a way to capture Saren that does not require fleets or armies."

"No!" Sparatus argued. "Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities of being a Spectre!"

"Humanity is your best chance at catching Saren," Marisa muttered. "I'm ready for this!"

Tevos and Valern both turned to Sparatus and nodded. Sparatus sighed, and nodded himself. All three pressed buttons.

"Commander Kirisame," Tevos announced. "Step forward."

…

When Marisa arrived at C-Sec academy, she wasn't expecting for two people to accost her.

"You Kirisame?" asked a Krogan in red armor.

"Yeah, that's me…" Marisa narrowed her eyes.

"'Name's Urdnot Wrex," the Krogan announced. "Bounty hunter. The Shadow Broker hired me to kill Fist, but you got to him first."

"I don't like where this is going…" Garrus worried.

"And since I didn't get the hit, the payment is yours," Wrex grunted, handing over some credits to Marisa.

"Wait, what?" asked Garrus.

"Strange, Wrex," Patchouli chuckled. "I wasn't expecting you to just give away your payment."

"She ruined my chances of killing him. Even so, he won't be doing any more business, so he's out of the way, far as I'm concerned," Wrex shrugged. "In any case, I heard you're going after Saren, and that sounds like the place to be."

"You're welcome to come with us, I guess," Marisa shrugged. "We've got a pretty full crew as-is."

"He's not the only one," entered a new voice. The woman in question had purple armor similar to Patchouli's, as well as purple eyes, but this woman was blonde. She also looked somewhat more… mature. "I wanna help, too."

"And who are you?" asked Ashley.

"Yukari Yakumo," the woman answered. "Experimental biotic."

"Experimental biotic?" asked Wrex. "The hell does that mean?"

"It means that I've got an experimental biotic amp," Yukari answered. "It does something weird to my Biotics. I can't use my Biotics the way normal people can, but I can open… gaps… in space with them. It was developed at Gensokyo base, since they were studying how to duplicate or enhance Youkai abilities."

"Gaps?" asked Marisa. "That sounds… useful. You want to go after Saren?"

"He's donated to anti-mutation groups in the past," Yukari growled. "I have a… personal grudge."

"Ah, alright, then," Marisa stared. "I guess you're onboard, too. We should go up and talk to Udina and Anderson about getting me a ship…"

…

"What?!" Marisa yelled. "You're giving me the Normandy!?"

"We have determined that it is the best ship for a Spectre to have," Udina crossed his arms. "You need to go where you need to go. The Normandy is the only ship that can do that without being detected."

"I trust that you'll treat her right," Anderson nodded. "Besides, you already know the crew, and the little quirks of the ship. You'll make a better Captain for her than anyone else."

"I… yes, sirs," Marisa sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Well, at least Reimu, Kaidan, and Jenkins are already onboard," Ashley shrugged. "At least we won't have to move them."

"In any case," Anderson cut in. "We've got some leads for you. Geth sightings have been reported on Feros and Noveria. Feros is an old Prothean word, still littered with their buildings. Noveria is the corporate capital of the Skyllian Verge, and we think that Matriarch Benezia may be there. Benezia also has a daughter- an archaeologist named Dr. Liara T'Soni. She has a dig site somewhere in the Artemis Tau cluster."

"Are there any other leads, ze?" asked Marisa.

"Not at the moment," Anderson shook his head. "We'll call you if we find anything else."

"Alright, then," Marisa saluted. "I'll be going, Captain. Be good, okay?"

"Don't worry," Anderson chuckled. "I'm staying here for now. There isn't much trouble I could get up to on the Citadel."

Marisa grinned, and began to enter the Normandy.

…

The Geth landed on Eden Prime, ready to start their mission. The Heretic Geth had apparently recently attacked this world, and Kirisame-Commander fought them. If she was fighting the Heretic Geth, then she was fighting the Old Machines, and that made her their alley. They needed her help. If they were lucky, they could improve the public image of the True Geth.

However, the Geth failed to anticipate the locals of Eden Prime. While other Geth could distinguish True Geth from Heretic Geth, Organics could likely not tell. In all honesty, they should have considered that. The Geth had no choice but to retreat from the planet.

They would keep looking. Hopefully, they would find Kirisame-Commander.

…

…**And that was quite possibly the longest chapter I've ever written for anything! Ten pages. Eleven if you count this Author's Note.**

**In any case, Marisa's a Spectre, Nihlus is alive, and we've gotten an early cameo from Legion. Why? Because Legion's my favorite ME character, that's why.**

**I also updated the last chapter to include two Codex entries: Gensokyo Base and Youkai.**

**In any case, this is Antagonist, signing off. Remember to review!**


	4. ME1: Noveria

**Hello, and welcome back to Ordinary Human Spectre! So far, the impact that Marisa has had on the ME universe is that Jenkins and Nihlus are still alive and the Geth sent Legion out two years early. **

**Also, you might have been wondering: "Antagonist! How does Marisa being around keep Nihlus alive? Why is Legion out early?"**

**My answer to that is that you'll find out over the course of the story.**

**Also, I'd just like to clear something up- Marisa cannot be defined by Shepard terms. I used the War Hero/Spacer background in the first chapter, but while she was born and grew up in space and saved Elysium, she went about both of them **_**very**_** differently than Shepard did. Especially the second part, since Marisa's actually a Batarian sympathizer. She could also be confused for an Infiltrator, since she uses sniper rifles and tech abilities, but trust me, she's not an Infiltrator. She's just Marisa. She simply doesn't have any kind of Biotics, and she's a tech specialist. It's not going to be immediately obvious in the ME1 arc, since ME1 was pretty boring with the classes, but the ME2 and ME3 arcs will show off more extensively that she's **_**not**_** an Infiltrator.**

**Also, "Youkai" is a stat, just like Biotic, Tech, and Combat. Yukari, for instance, is Biotic/Youkai (her specific class is called Gap Youkai). Youkai abilities are powerful, but have a cooldown so long that you can pretty much only use those powers in the worst of situations, so there is no pure "Youkai" class. Just Youkai/Biotic, Youkai/Tech, and Youkai/Combat.**

**Finally, when I said that I wouldn't do any side missions in ME1, I lied. I'm going to put in the Luna Base sidequest, partly because it has plot importance, and partly because the Therum chapter is going to be incredibly short and needs to be lengthened.**

**DISCLAIMER: Touhou Project belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, and Mass Effect belongs to BioWare, and, in extension, Electronic Arts.**

…

The Geth had received intel from the Extranet that Commander Kirisame would soon be arriving on the planet Noveria, so they moved quickly to get there first. This may be their last chance to meet Kirisame and prove that the True Geth were not hostile. They knew how risky the operation was- the planet was absolutely infested with the Heretic Geth. Heretic Geth would likely engage in hostilities, and in addition, Kirisame would likely shoot anything that looked remotely like a flashlight.

They did not, however, anticipate just how incredibly cold Noveria was. With the massive, unrepaired hole in their chest, the Geth did not last long in the cold weather before shutting down not far from Port Hanshan.

…

"This is the SSV Normandy, requesting permission to dock," Joker said matter-of-factly, not bothering with the pleasantries.

"Normandy, you do not have an appointment," the comm. officer on the other end said. "Defense cannons are arming. If you do not want to be blown out of the sky, leave."

Joker rolled his eyes.

"We're on Citadel business, we've got a Council Spectre aboard," he sighed. After a moment of silence, the comm. officer replied.

"You are clear to dock. Be warned, if you are unable to prove your identity, your ship will be impounded."

"What a nice bunch," Joker said, messing around with his terminal. "I think I'll take my next leave here."

"That'd be the day," Marisa chuckled. "Knowing you, you'd just buy all the porn you could before leaving, ze."

"Hey, Marisa!" he shouted. "Not cool! At least, not on the bridge! That's my private business!"

"Hey, you finally ditched the 'Commander' thing!" Marisa chuckled. "I wondered when you'd stop doing that."

"Ah, shit," Joker remembered. "Sorry, _commander_."

Marisa sighed and chuckled.

"Well, it's time for us to be off," Marisa thrust her hands in her pockets. "So, I suppose this is good enough. For now."

Marisa walked over to the airlock and put a hand on her ear.

"Yakumo?" Marisa asked.

"Yeah?" answered the Biotic Youkai on the other end.

"Train Reimu while I'm gone, ze," Marisa ordered. "She's not trained, but she's got talent. She'll be a valuable asset to the team if we can get her suited to combat."

"Got it! I'll have fun with that!" Yukari answered. Marisa just sighed and cut off communications.

"Patchouli, Wrex," she ordered into the earpiece. "Meet me at the airlock. I want you two at my side for this."

"Of course, Commander," Patchouli answered.

"Sure, whatever," was Wrex's reply.

Within minutes, all three were suited up and ready to step onto Noveria.

…

"The commanding officer is ashore," the Normandy VI said calmly. "XO Moreau has the deck."

"I'm curious," Patchouli spoke up as they walked past a turret. "Why did you choose the pilot to be your XO? Navigator Pressly seems like he'd be the better choice, since he's more experienced. And _he_ doesn't watch porn on the deck."

"Eh," Marisa shrugged. "Joker's a friend. We go way back. I know I can trust Pressly, but I trust Joker even more. He protested at first, though. I consider it payback for him deciding to start calling me Commander when I was promoted above him."

"So that's why you don't like him calling you that," Wrex noted gruffly. "Makes sense. How long've you been friends?"

"Since I was about seven," Marisa answered matter-of-factly.

"Seven?" asked Wrex. "Huh. You've known him for a while then. If memory serves, 16 years is a long time for humans."

"That it is," Patchouli agreed.

"That's a story for another time, though," Marisa cut the conversation off. "It looks like we have company."

"That's far enough, Commander," the Japanese woman leading the group of guards announced. "Leave your weapons."

Wrex and Patchouli pulled out their pistols and aimed at the guards at once, while Marisa just sighed.

"Sorry for their behavior, ze," Marisa chuckled in embarrassment. "They work for the Shadow Broker."

"I understand, but you still need to relinquish your weapons," the lead guard repeated.

"I'm with Special Tactics and Recon, here on Council business, ze," Marisa apologized. "I really can't."

"What a load of horsecrap, ma'am," the blonde guard said. "There are no human Spectres."

"You didn't hear the news?" asked Wrex. "She's the first."

"Captain Matsuo, stand down!" said a voice over the PA. "We have confirmed Commander Kirisame's identity as a Spectre. Spectres are allowed weapons."

The lead guard, evidently Captain Matsuo, nodded. "Alright, you can keep your weapons. We apologize for the inconvenience."

"No problem," Marisa answered. "I'm sorry that my team inconvenienced _you_."

And with that, Marisa and company entered the building.

…

_VWEEEEEOR! VWEEEEEOR! VWEEEEEOR!_

"Pay no mind!" a young African American woman walked up. "Those are just the weapons detectors. You're free to have them, so you can ignore them."

"And you are?" asked Marisa.

"Gianna Parasini, administrative assistant to Administrator Anoleis," the woman introduced. "You must be Marisa Kirisame."

"Kirisame Marisa," Marisa corrected. "I prefer to use the Japanese name order, since I'm Japanese and all."

"I see," Parasini smiled. "Well, I'll make sure to never misname you again, Commander."

"So, we just go down this hall, right?" asked Marisa.

"Yes!" Gianna answered. "Out there is the rest of port Hanshan! I'm afraid the garage is off-limits, though."

"Off-limits?" asked Patchouli. "May I ask why?"

"Because the weather outside is frightful," Parasini joked. "Also, there are a lot of corporate secrets that need to stay protected."

"How bad is the weather?" asked Marisa.

"It's cold enough out there that, even with armor on, you'd die of hypothermia in less than half a minute. A vehicle could get around in that kind of weather, but not a person," Parasini explained.

"Well, we've got an M35 Mako," Marisa grinned. "How's that work?"

"Well, you might be covered when it comes to the weather, but there's still the issue of corporate secrets. You could convince Administrator Anoleis to get you one, though," Parasini suggested. "A garage pass, I mean."

"I guess I find him down the hall?" asked Marisa.

"Right you are," Parasini confirmed. "Down the hall is an elevator to the main floor. Anoleis's office is to the left of the elevator."

"Got it," Marisa nodded, motioning for Patchouli and Wrex to follow her down the stairs. As soon as they were out of earshot, Marisa put her hand to her ear.

"Nihlus," she greeted. "Are you in Port Hanshan?"

"No," the fellow Spectre answered. "I don't typically deal with cities and ports unless they're under attack. I bypassed all that and took the Mako out into the storm. I don't know where to go, though, so you'll need to figure out the situation there. Also… I'm not sure I can do this on my own."

"Good to know, ze," Marisa replied. "See anything unusual out there?"

"There's a strangely advanced Geth out here," Nihlus suddenly sounded worried. "It's got a large part of its torso blown off, too. It's offline, but in good enough shape that it can be brought back online. It could be a major find, Commander. Nobody's gotten to take a look at a Geth before."

"Get it into the Mako, then," Marisa answered. "It's a six-seater, so some extra cargo won't hurt it. Just don't try to activate it. I don't think you could beat it in a place as small as the Mako."

"I don't take orders from you, but I agree. I'm leaving it offline and in the Mako. I'll try to park it in the garage and find a quiet, secluded place at the port to meet up with you. Kryik out."

With that, Marisa removed her hand and walked over to the elevator. Once Patchouli and Wrex were in, she pressed the button, causing the elevator to rise.

"There's something I never understood," Patchouli spoke up as they rose. "Holographic terminals are used for everything except for doors and elevators. They have actual buttons. It makes no sense to me!"

"Maybe people like feeling an actual button there when they open a door? To feel nostalgic about knobs, maybe?" asked Marisa. "Hell, I dunno."

"Why do we care about elevators?" asked Wrex. "I wanna know how to get out of this damn port."

"Because it makes no logical sense," Patchouli answered. "We're here."

The elevator doors parted, and the trio exited into the main room.

It was… large. It was also not what you would expect of a corporate resort.

The architecture, surely, did match your usual expectations. It's not that unusual to hide on an ice planet.

But most people wouldn't put up giant windows to remind them of the fact that they're surrounded by ice in all directions.

"I feel cold just standing in this room, ze," Marisa deadpanned. "Let's just get this over with."

…

"Ah!" Parasini greeted. "Anoleis's office is just back there. He technically keeps an open-door policy, but he's somewhat… abrasive."

"Got it," Marisa nodded, walking behind Parasini's desk and into the room behind it.

A Salarian, likely Anoleis, was at a computer, grumbling and mumbling all the while.

"Are you that Anoleis guy?" asked Marisa.

"Yes, I am," he looked up, glaring. "What do you want?"

"Well, I'm trying to get into the garage," she answered.

"Not happening," he grumbled. "The garage is off-limits, even to a Spectre."

Marisa sighed.

"Alright, then. Can you at least tell me where I can find Saren Arterius?"

"Your fellow Spectre?" asked Anoleis, looking genuinely surprised. "He was last seen at the Peak 15 Research Center. He had an Asari Matriarch with him, too."

"Is Peak 15 at Port Hanshan?" asked Marisa.

"Peak 15 dwarves Port Hanshan," Anoleis drawled. "It's a research center, not an office. It wouldn't be at a port."

"Alright," Marisa sighed. "Who does Peak 15 belong to?"

"Binary Helix," Anoleis answered. "One of the bigger companies around here. I couldn't tell you their secrets if I wanted to, and I definitely don't want to."

Marisa scowled at the corner and bowed very slightly.

"Sorry for wasting your time. I'll be going now," she answered, walking swiftly out of the room.

"Good," he answered. "While you talked, I received fifteen urgent messages."

Marisa just made a point to herself to get out of there as soon as possible. She understood why she couldn't do what Nihlus had done and just bypass that all- Nihlus was more experienced as a Spectre, and besides, he was scouting. He couldn't get a thing done until she did her own job here at the port.

She'd probably have to get a garage pass. The only way she could think of to sneak in there was to crawl through the oversized ducts that seemed to exist, given how Nihlus got around on the Citadel, but she could see none. There were only normal-sized ducts.

As she walked out, Parasini motioned to her.

"Anoleis isn't the only one with a garage pass," she suggested. "Try talking to Lorik Qui'in."

Marisa raised an eyebrow, but Parasini immediately went back to work.

"I'm guessing that the advice and your facial expression mean that talking to Anoleis didn't go as planned," Patchouli observed. Marisa just nodded.

"Well, there's that Qui'in guy that Parasini mentioned," Wrex noted. "Perhaps we should go talk to him."

"Sounds like a plan," decided Marisa. "Let's go talk to Qui'in."

…

"Are you Lorik Qui'in?" asked Marisa.

"Yes, I am," the Turian answered. "I'm also the head of the local Synthetic Insights office. I've been kicked out, though."

"You've been kicked out?" asked Patchouli. "Why would that be?"

"Anoleis is investigating reports of my corruption," he answered. "Or, at least, that's his cover. Really, I found proof of _his_ corruption, and his goons are ransacking my office looking for it."

"His what, now?" asked Wrex. "The Salarian has goons?"

"The Elanus Risk Control Services guards," Qui'in clarified. "Most of them are just guards hired by ERCS, and perfectly on the right side. A small majority of them, though, are being bribed by Anoleis to serve as his personal thugs. Captain Matsuo doesn't know."

"Huh," Patchouli noted. "That's interesting. Crooked guards, huh? We should go check out the Synthetic Insights office."

"I can get you a pass into the office," Qui'in answered. "If you get me my proof back, I can make it worth your while."

"I hear you've got a lovely garage pass," Patchouli chuckled.

"That I do," he answered. "If you really want it, then you can have it once I have it back."

"Then, I guess we're going to Synthetic Insights," Marisa decided. "Come on, you two."

…

When the trio arrived, it was covered in ERCS guards.

"You're not allowed to be up here," one guard threatened. "We are prepared to use lethal force."

Marisa unholstered the Mini-Hakkero.

"I'm a Spectre," she threatened right back. "One, you don't wanna mess with me. Two, you're taking bribes, making you mercenaries. I'm sure that Noveria Internal Affairs would love to know…"

The guard shook.

"A-alright! Everybody, stop! I don't wanna get arrested!" she called out. "Alright, just do whatever you're here to do. Please, just don't arrest me."

And so, Marisa, Patchouli, and Wrex strolled right through the guards, finding their way to Lorik Qui'in's computer and downloading the data onto the OSD. When they walked out, the blonde guard from before was there.

"Kiara Stirling," the guard introduced with a glare. "And what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Getting what I need without killing any of your guards, ze," Marisa chuckled.

"I was asking them!" Kiara yelled, turning back to her subordinates. "Are you crazy? You don't do your jobs, Anoleis doesn't pay us!"

"If they _had_ done their jobs, they would be dead now," Marisa deadpanned. "Or, rather, their work for Anoleis. ERCS probably doesn't like their guards being crooked."

Kiara Stirling growled.

"Go," she demanded. "Just go. If you tell anyone about this, anyone at all, I will kill you myself."

Marisa grinned smugly, walking back to the elevator.

"You're gonna tell someone, aren't you?" asked Patchouli, as soon as the elevator doors closed.

"Oh, of course!" Marisa giggled. "Captain Matsuo will be _very_ surprised! And Stirling's gonna get what's coming to her. Death-free guarantee!"

"Death-free guarantee?" asked Wrex. "What is that, some kind of weird human thing?"

"No death until we reach Peak 15, or you get your money back!" Marisa grinned. "It's a joke, Wrex."

"Huh," he grumbled. "Must be some weird human thing. That's not really funny at all."

"Your loss," Marisa shrugged.

…

"Commander," Parasini greeted. "I just saw Kiara Stirling go up to the Synthetic Insights office. You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

"No, I didn't," Marisa answered. "I need to talk to Qui'in, though."

"Right," Parasini's voice grew less friendly. "I need to talk to you. Meet me in the bar, _before_ you talk to Qui'in."

"Alright, ze. Why not here?" asked Marisa.

"Because this is a sensitive topic," answered Parasini. "I promise, it's nothing you won't like, unless you suddenly have a soft spot for Anoleis."

"Alright, then."

…

"Alright, you wanted to speak with me?" asked Marisa.

"That I did," answered Parasini. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. Gianna Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs."

"Internal Affairs?" asked Marisa. "You're a mole?"

"Exactly," answered Parasini. "Anoleis has been doing the one thing that isn't tolerated on Noveria- stealing the Board's money. And the evidence from Lorik Qui'in is exactly what we need."

"I'm sorry, ze," Marisa chuckled nervously. "We need his garage pass."

"I can get you a garage pass, too," Parasini chuckled. "I'm no fan of Spectres, but if you can help me, I'd owe you."

"Alright, then," Marisa chuckled. "What should I do?"

"Give Qui'in his evidence," Parasini answered. "And convince him to testify against Anoleis."

"Alright, ze!" Marisa answered. "You've got it!"

Marisa ran off towards Qui'in, Patchouli and Wrex following, as Parasini retreated to her office.

"Ah, Commander," the Turian greeted. "Do you have my evidence?"

"Yeah," Marisa answered. "And I want you to use it. Testify against Anoleis."

"Of course not," Qui'in answered. "How often do you get blackmail material this good?"

"So, you're using it for blackmail?" asked Wrex. "That doesn't sound legal."

"We're on Noveria, Krogan," Qui'in answered. "Nearly everything's legal here."

"Not blackmail, though," Patchouli pointed out. "These aren't the Terminus Systems, just the Traverse. Council rules still apply."

"I'm reasonably sure that I can get away with it," Qui'in grinned smugly.

"Not if we tell someone," Marisa threatened. Qui'in's face fell.

"…What will you do if I don't blackmail him?" he asked.

"Nothing. Won't be able to. We won't be able to prove that you even wanted to blackmail anyone," Marisa chuckled. "I'll see to it that Internal Affairs reopens Synthetic Insights."

"Then… I will give you the evidence," Qui'in surrendered. "Just get that jerk into a cell as soon as possible."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Lorik!" Marisa grinned, skipping off towards the elevator. Patchouli and Wrex shared a brief glance before following.

…

"You can't do this to me!" Anoleis cried. "Kirisame, arrest this bitch!"

"I'm not fond of that word," Marisa frowned. "So, no."

"You traitorous… I'll make sure you never work in this sector again!" Anoleis hollered.

"You have the right to remain silent!" Parasini yelled back. "I wish to_ God_ you would exercise it!"

"You can't hold me forever!" Anoleis argued.

"Thanks for the help, Kirisame!" Parasini waved. "Your garage pass is on my desk! I owe you a beer!"

"Make it sake, and we're even!" Marisa chuckled.

"Sake, then!" Parasini laughed.

"Well, we've got our garage pass now," Patchouli reminded. "What do we do now?"

"Kirisame, come in," Nihlus interrupted over the comm. "I've found a good place to meet you- just outside the Normandy. How soon can you be there?"

"Just one elevator trip," Marisa reassured. "We'll be there in less than ten minutes, or your money back."

"Got it. Kryik out."

…

When they re-entered the docking bay, Kiara was chatting with Matsuo, as if Kiara weren't accepting bribes. Marisa chuckled, but remained quiet until they reached Nihlus at the Normandy.

"Nihlus," Marisa greeted. "What have you got?"

"Just a status update," Nihlus explained. "My part of the job is over, so I'll be heading back in. Anyways, I managed to sneak the Geth corpse out. I snuck it into a hidden panel in your office."

"How'd you get it that far?" asked Marisa.

"I'm very good at hiding things on my person," Nihlus explained. "Anyways, there are a lot of Geth out there, and there was a group massing just outside the garage. It's incredibly cold and mountainous out there, too. All in all, stay out there as little as possible, and go immediately to wherever it is you're going. I'm going to try and see about researching this Geth."

"All right, then," Marisa answered. "You don't need to keep it a secret, though. It's not like we're allying with a _Geth_."

"True," Nihlus answered. "I'll take it down to the med bay to work on it. That should be sufficient."

"Make sure you don't freak out Chakwas too much," Marisa joked. Chakwas in that close proximity to Geth might freak out anyone else on the ship, but she got the feeling that Chakwas didn't scare easily.

"I'll make sure," Nihlus reassured. "Be careful, Commander."

"You got it," Marisa gave a thumbs-up.

…

This was no good.

At the moment, Patchouli and Marisa were hiding behind a box while Wrex hid behind an empty tank. There were dozens of Geth Hoppers and a pair of Geth Destroyers in the room, and that was no good, no good at all.

Marisa had very little idea of how she was supposed to deal with this situation, using her Omni-Tool to sabotage the legs of one of the Destroyers. That would slow them down.

However, while their advance was halted, there was still the trouble of the Geth in the room. Patchouli could only rely on a pistol and a wide variety of Tech abilities, while Wrex wielded a pistol and shotgun. So, if she wanted variety, Marisa was stuck with the Hakkero, even though the Mini-Hakkero was her weapon-of-choice.

It didn't take long to get rid of one of the Hoppers, and Wrex took out the other. Okay, maybe dozens was stretching it. To be fair, it was hard to tell how many Hoppers there were in a room in a given second. They were like juggling- it looked like there were more in the air than there actually were.

However, there was still the matter of the Destroyers, which had repaired the damage to their legs while they dealt with the Hoppers. One of them ran right up close to Patchouli and Marisa, knocking the box they were hiding behind into the wall behind them, while the other went after Wrex.

Wrex threw his shotgun away and just punched the Destroyer before locking hands with it. Wrestling was something Wrex was good at, being Krogan and all, and there was no way to keep the Destroyer far enough away to shoot it, so that seemed like the best course of action. Of course, Wrex proceeded to headbutt the Destroyer before throwing it across the room with his Biotics.

"Destroyers are a pain!" yelled Patchouli. "They're like Geth Krogan!"

"I personally take that as a compliment to the Geth, but I know what you mean!" yelled Wrex.

"Just concentrate your fire!" yelled Marisa as Wrex retrieved his shotgun. "Finish off the one that Wrex whittled down, then focus on the other one!"

And so, all three teammates aimed their weapons and fired at the damaged Destroyer, causing it to fall limp.

"Just one left!" yelled Marisa, activating her Omni-Tool once again. The shields of the Destroyer immediately failed. "Overload did the trick! Now, _fire!_"

After more concentrated fire, the last remaining Geth fell. The silence failed to last long.

"What the hell happened in here!?" yelled Captain Matsuo. "Commander, explain!"

"A Geth attack happened, ze," Marisa answered. "Really strong ones, too."

"Geth? How did Geth get in here?" asked Matsuo.

"I'm guessing that Benezia brought them in whatever luggage she had," Patchouli answered.

"Her luggage? That's impossible; there were no life signs or Mass Effect drives in Benezia-sama's luggage…" Matsuo nervously explained. "If they had Geth in them… there's going to be a lot more out there."

"Oh, most definitely," Marisa answered. "You're probably gonna fend off a lot of Geth attacks from now on."

"Damn it," Matsuo sighed. "Thank you, Commander. I'll leave you to do whatever it is you need to do."

"Thank you, Captain," Marisa thanked. "We really need to get going now. Patchouli, Wrex? Mako, now."

…

"We're in the Mako, we're wearing incredibly heavy armor, and it's still freezing," Patchouli scowled. "If only I could…"

"If only you could what?" asked Marisa.

"Nothing," sighed Patchouli. "Let's just go."

"Alright, then," Marisa shrugged. "Wrex, you got any comment on the situation?"

"I agree with Knowledge," Wrex grumbled. "I'm a Krogan, so it's even colder to me. I'd rather go to a hot world."

"Heheh," Marisa chuckled nervously. "Sorry, Wrex."

"Don't worry about it," Wrex reassured. "I can still fight. As long as that's still an option, I can go anywhere."

"Good to know," Marisa turned back to the wheel. "I think we're almost to… dammit!"

"What?" asked Patchouli.

"Geth!" Marisa shouted. "And lots of'em! The Mako handles like a drunk rhino, so we can't just drive past!"

"The main gun packs a bunch, and this thing's armor is fortified like a star," Wrex chuckled. "It's not gonna be taken out so easily."

"Good point!" Marisa grinned, slamming her thumb down on the cannon button. In one high-caliber shot, five Geth were blown out of the way. "Remember when I said no death until Peak 15? Yeah, you get your money back."

In another, the turret beside them was taken out, and only a few Geth remained. Few enough Geth that the Mako could just drive past with its tough armor.

"Nothing beats the Mako, ze," Marisa grinned wider, an incredibly creepy act. "Won't be long until we reach Peak 15!"

Patchouli simply clung to the bars for dear life. Marisa was right about it handling like a drunk rhino.

…

When they arrived at Peak 15, they were surprised at how peaceful it was. They were expecting it to be crawling with Geth or something, but no, it was perfectly fine.

"It looks alright… from out here," Wrex observed. "Who knows what we'll find inside?"

"Let's just hope that it's just Benezia and Saren," Marisa deadpanned. "I'd hate it if we came here for no reason."

"Let's hope," Patchouli agreed. "But it's still cold, so let's get inside, like, _right now_."

The trio entered the building and shut the door behind them, taking the opportunity to warm up before moving into the garage of Peak 15.

And were they glad they did.

Who knew that so many Geth and Krogan could be in one room? Forget two Destroyers and two Hoppers, there were some troopers, a Juggernaut, and a crap-ton of Krogan.

"Dear lord," Marisa breathed. "This is gonna hurt."

…

The Juggernaut fell limp, having proven to be a nuisance the whole battle. Marisa took the opportunity to catch her breath, no longer at all cold.

"Let's just… go through that door," she panted. She was in no way out of shape, but killing Krogan and a Geth Juggernaut wasn't easy. It took effort.

Patchouli and Wrex followed quickly, taking note of the strange placement of facility security.

"Curious," Patchouli observed. "The turrets are facing the wrong way."

"They want to keep their people in as much as they want to keep others out," Wrex explained. "It's common in the Traverse."

"Let's just keep go…ing…." Marisa cut herself off. Upon walking through another door, there was another room filled with Geth.

"Oh, dammit."

The three scrambled to get to cover, each pulling out their weapons. However, Patchouli was beginning to get obviously annoyed.

"There are far too many Geth in this damn building," she scowled. "Screw keeping secrets! I'm sick and tired of it!"

"Wait, what secrets?" asked Marisa.

Patchouli responded by throwing her pistol to the floor and walking right out of cover.

"H-hey!" Wrex shouted. "Are you crazy, Knowledge?!"

"No," she growled. "I'm a Youkai."

Fire sparked at Patchouli's fingertips and engulfed the narrow passage between where she was and the wall she faced, obliterating two Geth. She turned around and blew the other two into the wall with a gust of wind, and blew one of them up with her Omni-Tool, the explosion knocking the other one further into the hallway. She began to pant.

"That…" Marisa stared. "That was cool."

"I can't do it very often," Patchouli admitted, panting. "My Youkai abilities are powerful, but my asthma… really interferes. I'm not a Biotic, and using big guns would be worse for my asthma, so I have to supplement them with Omni-tool."

"Asthma or not, it's pretty useful," Wrex complimented. "Almost makes me jealous that only Humans can be Youkai."

A whistling sound interrupted them, and they all pulled out their guns.

"Patchouli, that wasn't just you breathing, right?" asked Marisa.

"I'm not so asthmatic that I sound like a Volus," Patchouli countered.

"I think it was just the wind," Wrex observed.

"…Or not," Marisa paled. "Look up there."

Marisa was pointing at the glass-walled hallway above them, where there was an insectoid shape in clear view.

"What is that thing?!" cried Patchouli.

"I don't care, just kill it!" Wrex yelled, pulling up his shotgun.

The trio ran up the stairs into the hallway and blasted the bug all at once, completely littering it with holes.

"Was that overkill?" asked Marisa. "I think it was a little overkill."

"We didn't know its capabilities," Patchouli reassured. "For all we knew, it was as strong as a Geth Armature."

"You make a good point," Marisa admitted. "Come on, we've still got a long way to go."

…

The two teammates watched as Marisa rose from the ground, having successfully reactivated the VI core.

"It seems like you're trying to restore this facility," the VI greeted. "Would you like help?"

"Sounds like an old Windows OS," Marisa muttered.

"What she means to say is that, yes, we would like help," Patchouli answered.

"What do you wish to do?" asked the VI.

"First," demanded Marisa. "What's your name?"

"This system is registered to respond to the name Mira," the VI helpfully explained.

"Alright," Marisa sighed. "What exactly happened here? What are those bugs, and where are the researchers?"

"Dangerous contaminants got loose in the Hot Labs," Mira answered. "I cannot answer questions related to Binary Helix research. Only individuals with Privileged Access can obtain that information."

"Privileged access?" asked Marisa. "Who has that?"

"Executives of Binary Helix and researchers working on the particular project being asked about," Mira answered. "As a Council Spectre, you have Free Access."

"Alright," Marisa sighed. "How do I get to the hot labs?"

"You must take the station tramway," Mira answered. "User alert! Tramway is currently inoperable. Landlines are disconnected, and power to the tramway is offline."

"I guess we have to turn those on, ze?" asked Marisa.

"That is correct," Mira answered. "The elevator to the landlines is right behind you. The elevator to the generator is back the way you came, and to the left. The tramway is to the right."

"Alright," sighed Marisa, turning to the elevator. "Let's go."

…

"User alert!" Mira called over the PA. "System shut down in accordance with emergency containment procedures. Manual restart required."

"Would it be impossible to get her to _shut up_?" asked Patchouli. "Maybe shoot out her speakers or something? Repeating that every five seconds is annoying."

"Now isn't the time!" Marisa yelled, firing the Hakkero at a bug at point-blank range. "There are a lot of these insect-things in here!"

Wrex had no response, choosing to just shoot at everything in sight, before he was downed by a bunch of the smaller, exploding ones.

"Wrex!" yelled Marisa. "Dammit, Wrex!"

"He's a Krogan," Patchouli panted. "He won't be down long. In any case, that was the last of the bugs."

"Right," Marisa sighed. "Alright, let's get those landlines online."

It wasn't difficult to locate the landlines, and as soon as they were online, Mira finally shut up.

"Yes!" Patchouli cheered. "She's done! Done, done, done! I don't have to listen to that incessant chatter anymore!"

"Urgh…" grumbled Wrex. "What's done?"

"Mira's chattering," Patchouli informed.

"Ah, good," Wrex groaned, rising from his position on the floor. "That was a pain."

"In any case," Marisa stretched. "The landlines are reconnected, so let's get back down there and reactivate the trams completely."

…

The moment they opened the door, they regretted it.

"Dammit!" Marisa called. "Destroyers and hoppers, _again_!"

The Destroyers screamed that monstrous scream that sounded like a dragon before charging straight at the trio.

"I'd say that Destroyers are a bigger pain in the ass than a Prime or an Armature," Patchouli deadpanned. "At least they don't run up to you with shotguns and try to knock you over!"

"I'd say that destroyers are bigger pains than Colossi!" Wrex agreed. "Shoot it! Kill it! Destroy it!"

"Hold on!" Marisa yelled. "Wrex, throw it across the room! Patchouli, overload it! I'll overload one of the hoppers- maybe I can take them all out with the explosion!"

Wrex used his Biotics to do just that, while Marisa and Patchouli activated their Omni-Tools. Within moments, the plan was executed, and the Geth all blew up.

"Is it just me, or was that fight easier than the last one?" asked Wrex.

"It was, ze," Marisa put a finger to her chin. "Are we getting stronger? Are the Geth getting weaker? Both?"

"The question is, why would either one happen?" asked Patchouli. "I think we're just getting better at this."

"In any case," Marisa observed. "The generator's right over there. The trams should be on again soon."

…

"The tramway is operational," Mira informed as soon as the trio was close to its terminal. "User alert! Loose contaminants have gotten loose in the decontamination station."

"What do you mean?" asked Marisa. "You mean more of those things?"

"That information requires Privileged Access," the VI informed.

"In other words, yes," Patchouli observed.

"Is there a way to get rid of them?" asked Marisa.

"Decontamination protocols can kill the Contaminants," Mira answered. "I can also open the doors and let them loose."

"Let's not do that," Marisa deadpanned. "Activate the decontamination protocols."

"User Alert!" yelled Mira.

"I should have seen that coming," Marisa grumbled.

"Decontamination protocols are offline!" the VI called. "They can be reactivated from the security station."

"Right," Marisa groaned. "The same way as the tramways, I'm guessing?"

"That is correct," answered Mira.

"All right," Marisa grumbled. "Come on, you two."

…

"Alright," Marisa wiped the sweat off her forehead. "The decontamination protocols are reactivated. Mira, do the honors."

"I do not understand that command," the VI responded. Even though it felt no emotions, Marisa could have sworn that it sounded… annoyed?

"Mira, activate the decontamination protocols," Marisa corrected herself.

The chamber was quickly flooded with a green gas, killing the bugs inside.

"Well, that was certainly anticlimactic," Patchouli stared. "What happens to us when we go in there?"

"The contaminants were only killed because they were trapped in the room," Mira explained. "If I open both doors, you can get through quickly enough that you will not die."

"Well, you're finally good for something, Mira," Patchouli chuckled. "I don't think I would mind stealing you."

"I don't know why, but the idea of you stealing something seems _incredibly_ ironic, ze," Marisa deadpanned.

"I work for the Shadow Broker," Patchouli reminded. "Why wouldn't I steal stuff?"

"Yeah, but… I don't know. It's just a gut feeling," Marisa sighed. "Alright, let's go."

"The tram's just up there," Wrex observed. "If there's anyone else in the building, they'll be there."

"Then, let's go," Marisa waved her gun towards the tram. "I want some answers, ze."

…

"Ease up, soldiers," the human in the middle of the room commanded. "They're human, not bugs."

"That we are," Marisa greeted. "Who're you?"

"Captain Ventralis," The man greeted in return. "I'm in command of keeping the scientists safe from those… _things_."

"The scientists?" asked Patchouli. "There are more survivors than just you guys?"

"Yeah," Ventralis answered. "Those bugs've been at it for _days_. We're keeping up with stims and tight shifts, but we won't last forever. "

"I can imagine," Marisa sighed. "There are a lot of them, ze."

"Does anyone here know what's going on?" asked Wrex.

"Hell if I know," Ventralis answered. "I'm just a soldier. Who are you guys, anyways?"

"I'm with Special Tactics and Recon, ze!" Marisa answered cheerfully.

"A Spectre?" asked Ventralis. "Well, I won't look a heavily-armed horse in the mouth. And you two?"

"We work for the Shadow Broker," Patchouli answered. "Well, I do. Wrex is a bounty hunter."

"What do the Council and the Shadow Broker want with Noveria?" asked Ventralis.

"It's confidential," Wrex gruffly replied.

"Well, if you guys can do something about this, then go ahead," Ventralis answered. "Wait a minute… Bugs!"

The trio turned around and unholstered their weapons, the group of six soldiers firing at the bugs. The fight was over in seconds, and Marisa could have sworn she heard one of the soldiers muttering about "flash-broiled bugs."

"It's been like that for days," Ventralis sighed sadly. "Back there is where all the scientists are. Zev Cohen is our medical officer; you might want to talk to him to get patched up. As far as I know, Han Olar is the only one who made it out of the hot labs alive. He might know what's going on, but I'll warn you, he's not all there anymore."

"Thanks, ze," Marisa chuckled sadly. "I'll go ask."

…

"Are you Han Olar?" asked Marisa as she walked into a room. There were two other scientists in the room, but it was clear that she was talking to the Volus.

"That would be me, yes," the Volus answered.

"I heard that you know what's going on," Marisa demanded. "What's with those bugs?"

"You mean the Rachni?" asked Olar.

"That's impossible," Wrex argued. "My ancestors killed all the Rachni."

"But we brought them back from the dead," Olar explained. "A poor decision, in retrospect."

"How did you bring back an extinct race?" asked Patchouli.

"We found an old Rachni ship," Olar explained. "There was an old Rachni egg there. We unfrosted it, and began this nightmare."

"I… see," Patchouli said with a concerned look on her face.

"How did you get out of the Hot Labs alive?" asked Marisa.

"I killed her," he answered.

"Killed who?" asked Wrex.

"A colleague of mine," he answered. "We were out to lunch when the Rachni got free. I got into the trams and closed the door, even as she pounded on the glass. I saw them rip her open and tear her to shreds as the tram got away."

"Well, if you hadn't, it's not like she would have lived," Marisa pointed out. "Better you and not her than not either of you."

"I suppose you're right," Olar sighed. "In any case, I'm the only one left."

"Alright," Marisa sighed. "How do I get into the Hot Labs?"

"That maintenance tunnel leads to them," Olar explained. "However, the only person I know to have a maintenance pass is Dr. Cohen."

"Let's go talk to him, then," Marisa decided. "Ventralis said that we should talk to him, anyways."

"Good idea," Patchouli agreed. "Let's go."

…

"What?" asked the doctor in the room. "Oh. You're not Ventralis. That's a relief."

"Why's it a relief, ze?" asked Marisa.

"Because he's using up all our stims and medigel," he answered. "Ventralis is working around the clock to protect us, but it's still not good for him. Or for these people." He pointed at the people on the cots.

"Are these people sick, ze?" asked Marisa.

"Yes," Cohen answered. "There was a toxin. These people were exposed. The toxin isn't contagious, but Ventralis won't let anyone back into the lab to develop a cure. He doesn't want to risk it. Likely because his judgment is extraordinarily impaired."

"I can convince him to let me in," Marisa confidently assured. "I'm a Spectre."

"A Spectre?" Cohen asked. "Yes, you might be able to get in. Go talk to Ventralis, if you're interested."

"I'll do it, ze," Marisa chuckled, before darkening her expression. "Why were you messing around with a toxin in the first place, though?"

"We were… creating it," Cohen admitted. "We wanted to create a bio-weapon that killed a particularly dangerous species. But, nobody would pay for a toxin that killed one creature on the frontier, so we… adapted it. Made it work for more species, and kept it from spreading. Think of it! A bio-weapon that didn't spread! You could kill people with it without creating a pandemic! The basic thought behind it was that people were going to use bio-weapons anyways, we might as well create a safer alternative."

"I can see the logic," Patchouli noted. "Keep the damage to a minimum."

"Yes, exactly!" Cohen agreed.

"Alright," Marisa sighed. "I still think it was a bad idea, but at least you had good intentions."

"Thank you," Cohen sighed in relief. "Now, please. These people need a cure, and I can't give them one."

"Right, right, I'm on the way," Marisa waved her hand and grinned.

…

"Hey, nobody goes in the lab," the guard at the door threatened.

"I have permission from Captain Ventralis," Marisa crossed her arms in response.

"Yeah, he radioed about you," the guard realized, evidently tired. "If you're at all sick, you can't come out."

"Those were the conditions we agreed on," Marisa nodded in agreement. "It's better than not getting in at all, really."

The guard yawned and slammed his fist on the button, opening the door. The guard seemed surprised, as if he hadn't meant to hit the button that hard. The Turian was clearly suffering from sleep deprivation.

The trio walked into the room, finding that the lab equipment was on the opposite side of the room.

"Who would put all the equipment all the way over there?" asked Wrex. "It's as far from the door as you can get in this room. What's the point?"

"Probably just laziness," Marisa shrugged. "The equipment was set up there when they got here, and were too lazy to move it."

"In any case, we should get to work on that cure," Patchouli pointed out.

"Right," nodded Marisa.

When they got to the setup, Marisa found some notes.

"Well, this is easier than I was expecting," Marisa grinned. "I was thinking that I would need to make it myself. That'd take at least five hours, maybe more. Two alone to just analyze the damn toxin in the first place. With these notes… we should be done in ten minutes, ze!"

"Well, that's certainly a boon," Patchouli nodded. "I suppose we should get to work, then?"

"Of course!" Marisa cackled.

…

"Just a little more…" Marisa muttered. "And… there!"

"That's as far as you'll go, Commander," said a new voice. The trio turned around to find Alestia Iallis, the meditating Asari scientist from the main room.

"Doctor Iallis?" asked Marisa. "What do you… oh."

Multiple Geth and Asari Commandos followed Iallis through the door as Iallis readied her own Biotics.

"I saw this coming from a mile away," Wrex growled. "You work for Benezia, don't you?"

"Exactly," Iallis answered. "And she wants you dead."

"Not happening!" Marisa yelled, unholstering the mini-Hakkero. However, Marisa soon found herself lying on the ground. Of course, biotics could be frustrating like that. Sometimes, Marisa wished she was a Biotic.

However, enough concentrated fire out Iallis down permanently, giving Marisa time to pick herself up. The omni-tool lit up with the Overload command, causing one of the Geth to blow up and send the first Commando flying. With another Sabotage command, the second Commando's gun overheated, and Marisa switched quickly to the Hakkero. A well-placed shot put the Commando down, and a close-quarters shotgun blast and headbutt from Wrex annihilated the other Geth.

The trio quickly exited the room, finding the guard dead. Marisa pitied the guard somewhat, but moved on.

"They came from the maintenance area!" Olar explained. "Their leader is in the Hot Labs!"

"Then we'd better go get that maintenance pass," Marisa breathed, making a beeline for the elevator. She turned around for half a second and pointed at Olar, then the guard. "See if that guard's alive! If he is, get him back on his feet!"

Olar nodded and moved towards the guard as the trio quickly reentered the elevator.

…

"Is that the cure?" asked Cohen. "Ah… an extension on _his_ work… yes, I see how this could work! I'll get to work right away! How did you do it so fast?"

"The notes were already there," Marisa explained. "I might've been able to figure out a cure myself, but it would have taken hours. These notes sped the process up a _lot_, ze."

"Well, I'm just glad that it worked out," Cohen sighed in relief. "Do you need any kind of payment?"

"I need a maintenance pass and medigel," Marisa explained. "I'm going to the Hot Labs to investigate the situation."

"Well, I wish you luck," Cohen nodded. "Just don't tell Ventralis that I gave you Medigel. He wants it saved up for his men."

"I can understand," Marisa nodded. "He won't need it much longer, though. Soon, you're all getting out of here, ze."

"Good to know," Cohen smiled. "In any case, here."

…

After killing a single Rachni in the maintenance tunnel, the trio was officially in the Hot Labs.

"This place is _supremely_ creepy," Marisa shuddered.

"You're telling me," Patchouli sighed. "Let's just get this over with. The end's just over there…"

Opening the door, they found an Asari dressed in all black staring ahead.

"Benezia?" asked Marisa, marching into the room.

"You don't know the joy of being a mother," she growled in response. "To have power in creation. To shape a life."

"No, I don't, but maybe I will someday," Marisa retorted. "I'm only in my 20s."

"The Rachni were to be ours," Benezia explained, ignoring Marisa. "Her children would serve Saren faithfully."

"Hey- are you ignoring me, da ze?!" Marisa yelled.

"However, we failed."

"Obviously!"

"But it was also a victory. Rachni Queens share the memories of their mothers," Benezia explained. "However, you have been a thorn in Saren's side for too long. It is time to be rid of you."

Benezia's biotics flared up, and several Asari Commandos and Geth flooded into the room.

"Shit!" Marisa swore. "Everyone, get to cover! Pick them off from behind!"

With a flash of Omni-Tool, one of the Geth exploded, sending a pair of its allies careening into nearby walls. Wrex used his own biotics to counter the Commandos', and sent them flying into walls.

That gave Patchouli enough time to come up for air.

With a snap of her fingers, the Geth found themselves on fire, while the Commandos found that the ground beneath their feet was tearing apart. Patchouli could easily control fire; metal was not a stretch.

Patchouli collapsed, and Marisa and Wrex gave covering fire while more Geth entered the room. Her supply of Commandos seemed to be finite, however. Benezia's biotics flared up again.

"Maybe we should have waited longer before letting Knowledge do her thing!" Wrex yelled, and Marisa shrugged in agreement.

"Yeah, probably! Too late now!" she yelled, activating her Omni-Tool yet again, sending Geth flying. After a few moments of fighting, Benezia was all that remained. Marisa helped Patchouli up, and the trio walked to her platform.

"Saren is unstoppable," Benezia breathed. "Even now, he whispers in my mind."

"A radio?" asked Marisa as she dragged Patchouli to the platform.

"No," Benezia shook her head. "Indoctrination. His flagship, Sovereign… the longer you spend aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you… and you do his bidding. I'm fighting it, now, but he could come back at any moment…"

"Brainwashing?" asked Marisa. "That's new."

"Please, listen, while I can still talk!" Benezia pleaded. "The Rachni Queen holds the location of the Mu relay. I transcribed the data onto this OSD. Take it, please."

Marisa accepted the OSD with caution.

"Please, hurry. I already sent the data to Saren. He could arrive at the Mu relay at any moment. You need to… You need to… die!" Benezia yelled. It was evident that the brainwashing had returned. Marisa scowled and activated her Omni-Tool, sabotaging Benezia's weapon and preventing her from using her pistol. Patchouli activated her own Omni-Tool between breaths, overloading Benezia's shields. Finally, Wrex took her down with assault rifle fire.

Benezia stumbled back into the wall.

"No light?" she asked. "They always said there would be a- ah…"

Marisa brushed the back of her hand against Benezia's forehead. She was dead.

"There's still the matter of that monster," Wrex pointed out.

"The Rachni Queen?" asked Marisa, walking over to the tank. While their attention was occupied, one of the dead Commandos got up and walked (groggily) over to the tank and opened their eyes.

"Gyah!" Marisa shouted. "Zombie!"

"We… cannot sing," the Asari struggled, with a strange echo in her voice. "Not in these… low spaces."

"What the hell does she mean by singing?" asked Wrex. "Is she gonna sing us a song?"

"Hello my baby, hello my honey?" asked Patchouli. "Hello, my ragtime gal?"

"Send me a kiss by wire," Marisa joined in. "Baby my heart's on fire!"

"Now's really not the time," Wrex grumbled.

"We... are the last," the Asari continued. "The one… who sings for the children."

"The children… the Rachni?" asked Marisa. "Are you the Queen?"

"Yes," the Asari answered. "The children are… broken. They were… kept away. They do not know the song."

"Lock a kid in a closet for sixteen years, they won't exactly come out sane," Wrex agreed.

"Or alive, for that matter," Patchouli pointed out. "Unless you had air holes and refilled their food and water."

"So, you want us to save them?" asked Marisa.

"No," she answered. "The children… cannot be saved. They do not know the song. You must… end their misery."

"I guess if there's no other way," Marisa shrugged. "I guess I go even further down to do that?"

"Correct," the Queen answered. "Before you attend to my children… We stand before you."

"There's acid rigged in the tanks," Wrex suggested. "I say we activate it."

"No!" Patchouli yelled. "She's the last of her race! We should at least give the Rachni a second chance!"

"Will you destroy us?" asked the Queen. "Are we to… fade away, once more? Or… will you release us? And let the Rachni sing again?"

"I'm not gonna destroy a whole race, ze," Marisa grinned. "You go free."

"If you're certain that's the best decision," Wrex grumbled.

"I am!" Marisa laughed. "I'm saving them! Just watch!"

Marisa slammed her fist on a button, and turned away as the tank rose into the air, allowing the Queen to scurry out into the tunnels.

"She'll find a way offworld. Now, we go deal with the Hot labs."

…

"Who're you?" asked Marisa.

"Project director," the man answered in a thick Russian accent. "My name is Yaroslev Tartakovsky."

"Why are you in the chair?" asked Patchouli.

"I am paralyzed from the waist down," he answered. "The Rachni did it."

"I… I see," Patchouli paled slightly. She was already light; now, she seemed almost completely white.

"What do we do now?" asked Marisa. "Before you ask, I've already spoken to the Queen. I know what's going on."

"Now, you activate the Neutron Purge," Tartakovsky answered. "It might kill me, but I will live. More importantly, it will kill the babies. It is sad thing, but it must be done."

"How do I do that?" asked Marisa.

"The room over there activates it," he answered. "The code is-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a Rachni pierced through his chest, splattering gore everywhere. He was thrown to the other side of the room.

The trio opened fire on the Rachni, killing it almost immediately. They grabbed Tartakovsky's pass card and ran into the room.

"Activate the Neutron Purge," demanded Marisa.

"What is the emergency pass code?" asked Mira.

"Just read the damn card, ze!" Marisa yelled, shoving the card in Mira's face.

"Pass code accepted," answered Mira. "Activating the Neutron Purge."

"Go!" yelled Marisa. Opening the door, they found that the room was filled with Rachni. Marisa growled, through a grenade, and detonated it. That gave them a straight shot to the elevator.

"Get to the elevator! Now! Don't bother with killing the bugs, _as long as you get to the elevator!_"

The trio dashed to the other end of the room, closed the elevator door, and sighed in relief as the elevator rose. After a minute or two, they heard a loud explosion coming from below.

"That was the Neutron Purge?" asked Wrex. "More violent than I expected."

"Come on," Marisa panted. "The tram's back there. We need to get back to the Normandy. Today was… eventful!'

…

"There were Rachni down there?" asked Jenkins. "Cool!"

"Not cool," Ashley reprimanded. "Didn't you say that Knowledge nearly died?"

"She has asthma and Youkai powers," Marisa answered. "Going to her full potential can kill her."

"That's something I wouldn't wanna live with," Kaidan shuddered. "Then again, my situation isn't all that different."

"I'm fine now," Patchouli reassured. "I'm sure that there are more important things to talk about now."

"Yes, there are!" Tali yelled. "Like the fact that Nihlus brought a _Geth_ on the ship! Why did you authorize that, Commander?!"

"Because it was just about dead and I want to study it," Marisa answered. "It seems more advanced than most Geth."

"And, therefore, more dangerous!" Tali yelled.

"If you don't like it, Tali'Zorah, you can leave," Marisa shut her down. "I wanna see this Geth. I can probably kill it anyways."

Tali shrunk back into her chair, but was obviously pouting despite her mask.

"As for you two," she turned towards Yukari and Reimu. "Are you two done training yet?"

"No, she still has a ways to go," answered Yukari. "My Biotic _and_ Youkai powers are somewhat mitigated by my experimental amp, so it's going slowly. Still, she shouldn't take too long to be combat ready."

"Alright," Marisa nodded. "Now, a question for you, Reimu: Are you a Youkai?"

"Yeah?" asked Reimu. "I told you that I came from Gensokyo base."

"I just wanted to make sure," Marisa nodded. "So, on my team, I have all the military specializations except for a full Biotic."

"That sounds about right," Kaidan shrugged.

"Perfect," Marisa chuckled. "Dr. T'Soni should fill that role well, being an Asari and all. Shame about her mother, though. In any case, dismissed!"

"Noveria report is away, Commander," Joker announced. "Want me to patch you through to the Council?"

"Sure, Joker," Marisa nodded.

"Commander," Tevos greeted. "I heard that you met Rachni on Noveria."

"And then released the Queen!" Sparatus yelled. "You may have just killed all sentient life in the galaxy! Who knows how dangerous the Rachni are?"

"This one's different, ze," Marisa reassured. "I trust her."

"There are also reports that you brought a damaged Geth onto the Normandy," Valern spoke up. "Is this true?"

"Yes, Councilor," Marisa answered. "I wanna research it. I'm confident in my ability to take it down if it goes rogue."

"Very well, Commander," Valern nodded. "As long as you can kill it."

"Goodbye, Commander," Tevos greeted in farewell, and the three holograms disappeared.

…

"What's this, Nihlus?" asked Marisa, walking into the room. "You've got something for me?"

"Yes," answered the fellow Spectre. "I think I can get the Geth working."

Marisa looked behind him at the Geth. It certainly was advanced- and damaged. She could easily kill it. She grabbed a pistol from a locker.

"Go for it, ze," she answered, reloading. Nihlus nodded and activated his Omni-Tool. After briefly messing around with it, the Geth came online and slowly rose. It didn't make any hostile movements.

"Kirisame-Commander," the Geth greeted, and Marisa's eyes widened.

"What did you call me?"

…

**Wow, this chapter took a long time. And it's very long! 21 pages of text at 11pt font! I'm proud of myself for managing such a long chapter. I think my readers will be pleased with this.**

**Also, Legion has now officially met Marisa. Next up are Therum and Luna Base with Garrus and Tali.**

**This is Antagonist, signing off! Remember to review!**


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